Frenkie de Jong returns to work; Ronald Araujo is a doubt against Atlético

The FC Barcelona squad returned to work this Sunday with the recovery session following the victory against Alavés (3-1). The main novelty of the day was the presence of Frenkie de Jong, who was unavailable against the Vitoria team for personal reasons.

Matchday 14 of LaLiga was the second game the Dutchman has missed so far this season due to family reasons. In matchday 2, against Levante (2-3), he was also not called up due to special permission (paternity). Fortunately for Barça, his absence did not weigh on the result in either of these matches.

De Jong also missed the match against Athletic (4-0) due to suspension, after receiving a second yellow card during the visit to Celta (2-4). In this regard, Tuesday's match against Atlético de Madrid (9:00 PM CEST) will be his first game at the revamped Spotify Camp Nou since May 2023Frenkie, so far, has accumulated **a couple of assists in 15 games (1,214 minutes)** with Barça in 25/26. The midfielder was only a substitute in the visit to Oviedo (he played the second half in the 1-3 victory) on matchday 7 and also missed the duel against Valencia (6-0) due to a muscular problem

Ronald Araujo Remains Out and is a Serious Doubt for Barça-Atlético

Ronald Araujo's case is more complex. **The Uruguayan was out against Alavés due to a stomach virus** from which he has not yet recovered. If the center-back also does not train normally on Monday, he will also miss the 'Colchonero' team's visit to Camp Nou.Araujo will also be out for the next Champions League match against Eintracht due to suspension. The '4' was sent off with a second yellow card against Chelsea and, therefore, will serve a one-match ban.

In the league, Ronald remained on the bench against Rayo and Valencia. In the 11 matchdays he has played so far, he started in 6 opportunities, scoring one goal against Oviedo and another against Girona, the latter being key to the Catalan victory at the last minute (2-1)

In total, the captain has accumulated 886 minutes in 15 of the 19 matches played by Hansi Flick's team in the 25/26 season. The sending-off in London left him as the main scapegoat for the defeat, but the club and the entire locker room maintain full support and confidence in the Uruguayan.

Barça Postpones 25/26 Official Photo Due to Araujo's Absence

It's no coincidence that on Sunday, Barcelona was scheduled to take the official photo for the 2025/26 season, with the entire squad and coaching staff alongside president Joan Laporta. However, the absence of Ronald Araujo, the team's second captain after Ter Stegen (Frenkie de Jong, Raphinha, Pedri, Gavi, and Lewandowski are the other captains), forced the event to be postponed.

The 26-year-old center-back renewed at the beginning of 2025 for six more seasons, until June 2031. Although he has received strong criticism from the press and the Barça fans, his leadership and experience are not in doubt within the club. The player from Rivera has accumulated 190 official matches with the first team, with 12 goals, 7 assists, and 6 trophies. 

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